Mercedes-Benz's EQS SUV enters its second year on the market with a bigger battery that promises to boost range, though pricing remains unchanged from the previous year, at least for the entry-level grade.
The 2024 EQS SUV gains a 118-kwh battery, up from the 2023 model's 108.4-kwh unit. Range estimates haven't been provided, but the 2023 model with its smaller battery delivers an EPA range estimate of up to 305 miles.
Pricing for the entry-level, rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ grade remains unchanged at $105,550. Adding all-wheel drive, in this case via a dual-motor powertrain with an electric motor at each axle, is a $3,000 option.
The EQS 450+ is rated at 355 hp in both rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive guises, though the latter has some extra torque.
2024 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV
Further up is an EQS 580 grade which comes standard with all-wheel drive and a power rating of 536 hp. The EQS 580 is slightly more expensive for 2024, starting at $128,500 versus 2023's $127,100 starting price.
The 2024 model year also sees the arrival of a Maybach EQS 680 grade priced from $181,050. The Maybach comes standard with all-wheel drive and a power rating of 649 hp.
All prices include a $1,150 destination charge.
Mercedes-Benz Maybach EQS SUV
In addition to the new battery, all 2024 EQS SUVs benefit from a revised braking system that Mercedes says improves brake feel, particularly during energy recovery phases. The SUVs also gain a heat pump designed to improve efficiency during winter driving, and all-wheel-drive versions gain an additional efficiency improvement via a disconnect feature that turns the all-wheel-drive mode into two-wheel-drive mode when the former's extra traction isn't required.
More standard features are also found on the 2024 EQS SUV. The list includes the MBUX Hyperscreen digital dash, 21-inch wheels, an ambient lighting package, illuminated running boards, a powered charging port door, comfort pillows for the rear seats, and an EQ sound experience. Popular options like soft-close doors and a head-up display with augmented reality have also been made standalone options.
The EQS SUV is built at Mercedes' plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the smaller EQE SUV is also built, alongside several gas-powered models. There are reports Mercedes will build the EQS SUV's successor at a plant in Germany in order to free up space at the U.S. plant for a planned electric GLC-Class.
